How I Spent My Summer Vacation

I just got back on Thursday from a 10 day trip to Holland and Paris with my siblings. Here are the highlights:

Holland was cool. Besides catching up with relatives that I haven't seen in 8 years, we went to Amsterdam and did the Heineken Experience, walked through the red light district, visited a coffee shop and ate at KFC. Also, a trip to Zeeland and Utrecht along with some laid back days in Veenendaal playing Rummikub and Toepen. It was also good to eat some patat met, bitterballen and soused herring.

The Paris experience was mixed at best for me. We did a lot of walking, saw the Eiffel Tower, did a River Seine tour, saw a concert in Notre Dame, saw the Catacombs and Sacre Cœur. Paris was very busy (granted it was a weekend in August) and wait times were just all kinds of stupid. Also there were scammers and sellers of cheap knockoff souvenirs everywhere. But the lasting memory for me might just be that I was pick-pocketed in the Metro on our way back to the airport. So, I've had to replace all my credit cards, bank card, driver's licence and health card. So far I've only got 2 of my 3 credit cards back and it'll be a few weeks before I have a real driver's licence and health card in my hands again. The lost money isn't so bad as the hassel. But the worst part is knowing that some creep in the subway had me marked out as a target. One can only learn from the experience.

I've put a set of pictures up on Flickr, which has more photos than the ones I put on Google+ and Facebook. So check that out if you want.

Summer Vacation

In a couple hours, I'll be heading out of here on the first real summer vacation (other than camping, cottages and Cedar Points) I've gone on in 8 years. Coincidentally, I'll be heading to the same place I went 8 years ago... The Netherlands. Also, we'll be doing a short weekend trip down to Paris. I'm going with my sister and brother, which will be a first as well.

We don't have any plans yet besides our flights, accommodations and visiting with relatives, so we'll see what we get up to.

This is also the exact type of trip that I bought my PlayBook for, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it holds up. I've got it loaded up with the final 2 episodes of Games of Thrones and the first season of Fringe. I also got a bunch of podcasts loaded up and I'm bringing a book, so I'll keep myself entertained on the flight, which I should be sleeping on. Departure at 2305.